(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-speed actuator usable to precisely control a valve for dispensing bulk materials. In particular, the present invention is particularly well suited for rapidly controlling the position of valve stoppers used to dispense bulk materials such as powders from a gravity-feed bulk materials hopper.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Bulk material dispensers are used to dispense powdered materials such as coffee, tea, sugar and the like. Powdered bulk materials such as these are very difficult to dispense accurately. One problem is that hopper type dispensers have a discharge valve that up until now cannot be rapidly and precisely controlled between fully open and fully closed positions. Moreover, powdered type bulk materials tend to clump together as they pass the discharge valve and into a discharge conduit. What is needed is a high-speed actuator usable to rapidly and precisely control the position of a discharge valve stopper in a bulk material dispenser by precisely controlling the percentage of openness of the discharge valve between its fully open and fully closed positions. Further still, the high-speed actuator should include a means to urge the breakup and passage of clumped powder type material as it passes the discharge valve and into a discharge conduit, as well as through the discharge conduit.